-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lawyers for former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky , who was convicted on multiple counts of child sex abuse , argued a motion for a new trial Thursday .

Judge John Cleland , who presided over Sandusky 's conviction and sentencing , heard arguments Thursday at Centre County court in Bellefonte , Pennsylvania , but did not rule immediately . A motion for a new trial asks the trial court to re-examine issues it already ruled on in an earlier judgment .

In October , Cleland sentenced Sandusky to no less than 30 years and no more than 60 years in prison for abusing 10 boys during a 15-year period . Sandusky , 68 , had faced the possibility of up to a 400-year prison term .

Sandusky 's lawyers have argued that there was insufficient evidence to convict him , and that the court did n't allow them enough time to prepare for trial after the prosecution flooded them with documentation .

Defense attorney Joe Amendola testified Thursday that he had been unprepared for the trial . But he also conceded that after reviewing the documents post-trial , he did n't see anything he would have done differently in defending Sandusky .

Sandusky 's legal team has also argued that certain counts against their client were too broad and should therefore have been dismissed .

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Cleland could easily rule that evidence presented at the criminal trial was so overwhelming -- the victims ' testimony , for instance -- that the defense 's concerns would not have changed the end result , said Karl Rominger , one of Sandusky 's lawyers .

The eight victims who testified , now young men , said that they were boys when Sandusky forced them to engage in sexual acts with him . The acts occurred , they said , in showers in Penn State 's athletic facilities ; hotel rooms ; and the basement of Sandusky 's home , among other places .

Testimony was often emotional and graphic . Jurors convicted Sandusky on 45 out of 48 sexual abuse counts .

This first attempt to overturn the conviction based on ineffective counsel , a common tactic , will be tough , his lawyers acknowledged before the hearing .

They said that if the court rejects it , they may launch appeals based on other arguments .

`` If you win on one of the appeal issues , everything probably falls , '' Amendola has said . `` All we have to do is convince an appellate court that one of the issues we will raise is worthy of a reversal . ''

Amendola and Rominger have also filed a motion to have Sandusky 's sentence reconsidered .

The lawyers had attempted to withdraw from the case before the trial , telling Cleland the day before jury selection began that they did not feel adequately prepared and that it would be `` unethical '' for them to move forward . Cleland denied their request .

The sex abuse scandal led to the firing of head football coach Joe Paterno and the ouster of the university 's longtime president , Graham Spanier . Paterno died in 2012 of lung cancer .

The NCAA slapped Penn State with fines and sanctions over the case , but Pennsylvania 's governor announced a lawsuit last week against the collegiate athletic board , saying Sandusky 's actions were a criminal matter and not a violation of NCAA rules .

CNN 's Sara Ganim , Josh Levs , Mallory Simon , Ben Brumfield and Marina Carver contributed to this report

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NEW : Sandusky 's attorneys filed a motion for a new trial

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NEW : The judge has not yet ruled on the motion

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Sandusky , 68 , was convicted on 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years

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If the motion fails , defense lawyers may appeal the case